A Few Ideas On How To Balance ECM Drones & ECM

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TLDR: If “Jam Chance” below 5% ( Example: ECM 1 vs. Sensors 20.1 ) it is an “automatic fail to Jam”.
( may also reduce server load by ignoring low probability “Jam Chance” attempts )

Add a secondary “Sensor de-buff” to a target being ECM-ed, details below. ( sort of inverse / opposite of a weak Target Painter )

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Let me preface that these may be terrible ideas…


1st part:
Currently, given enough time and “dice rolls” EC-300 can jam anything that is not immune to ECM. That makes EC-300’s superior to the EC-600s and EC-900s and a “de-facto” must have for ships in PvP, with drone bay of 50+ m³.

So with the 1st suggestion, If “Jam Chance” is below 5%, the ECM drones will have the following “Sensor Ceilings” in their “Jam” effectiveness:

EC-300 vs. Sensor Strength 20
EC-600 vs. Sensor Strength 30
EC-900 vs. Sensor Strength 40

This way EC-300’s are only relay effective against something like Frigates and Destroyers, ships with “Low Sensor Strength”. The EC-600’s and EC-900’s would also have a use cases, to when EC-300’s would be just a nuisance.


2nd part:
The secondary “Sensor de-buff”. ( please bear with my convoluted explanation )

The ship that is being affected / “Jammed” by ECM, but ECM has “failed to Jam” / break Sensor Lock…

Has a “Sensor de-buff” that reduces apparent “Signature Radius” of hostile / other ships for the purpose of “Lock On Speed” and “Targeted Weapons”. ( an inverse Target Painter or a “pseudo” / discount “Skirmish Link” )

Drones, Auto Targeting Missiles, Smart Bombs, Bombs and other AoE weapons are NOT AFFECTED

This way “missed Jams”, at less than 5% “Jam Chance”, are not a complete waste of capacitor and one can still “contribute” to the fight. ( insert " I am helping meme ", just use your imagination )

Standard “Stacking Penalties” apply, just like all other modules.

EC-300 ( -4% to Sig. Radius per drone, x5 Drones Sig. reduction ~10.85% )
EC-600 ( -6% to Sig. Radius per drone, x5 Drones Sig. reduction ~15.94% )
EC-900 ( -8% to Sig. Radius per drone, x5 Drones Sig. reduction ~20.81% )

Tech 1, Meta 0, ECM ( -10% to Sig Radius per “Jammer” )
Tech 1, “Named”, ECM ( -11% to Sig Radius per “Jammer” )
Tech 2, Meta 5(+), ECM ( -12% to Sig Radius per “Jammer” )

Best worst case scenario of 5 Tech 2 ECMs of failing to “Jam” would only reduce the apparent Sig. Radius to ~70% of base value*. ( for example: Griffin from 42m > ~29.4m ; Blackbird from 135m > ~94.5m )

A single Tracking / Missile Guidance Disruptor would be more effective than a bunch of ECMs if the goal is to “Sig. Tank”.


Please comment below on “how” and “why” these are terrible ideas.

So, you tried to punch a dude who had ECM and he got away?

Take more DPS next time.

Edit: Why didn’t you bump the target so they couldn’t warp?

Yes, but not every fight is about ‘getting a jam off’ unless they’re trying to run.

If a single jam is the goal, then yes eventually EC-300 can get a jam off. But chance is much less reliable than one of the bigger drones. With a long jam cycle and low chance, for smaller ships the chance is big you get killed before one of your EC-300s get their jam off.

For bigger ships you can much more reliably get a single jam using one of the bigger drones, provided the drones can keep up with the target.

And if your goal isn’t ‘to get a single jam off’ to escape, but is to incapacitate the enemy while you stay in the fight, then bigger drones are more beneficial with their bigger jam chances to keep the enemy unable to target for a longer part of the fight.

So, apart from your idea that small ECM drones can ‘eventually’ get a jam just like any other drones, is there any reason low jam chances should be reduced to 0?

Or is it that you are you just annoyed that someone jammed you and got away?

What is wrong on ECM? Why do you think it should be balanced?

Also, if you think your idea is terrible, don’t post it at all. Come up with idea that you think is actually good next time.

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